Note: Another long extra chapter but this time following Karin's perspective.
Warning: Incest.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Uchiha brothers. Do support Masashi Kishimoto and the official anime/manga releases.
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Chapter Extra 2 : By His Side
She was in love with Sasuke but she knew she had no place in his heart. Still, it did not stop Karin from caring for the teenager. She knew everyone in the team was worried about their saviour. They were well aware of Sasuke's goal of killing his brother and taking vengeance for his clan but was that what Sasuke really wanted?
"I'll take first watch," our quiet giant teammate said, prompting us to go to sleep.
As much as Karin wanted to sleep beside Sasuke, she did not want to disturb the few good sleeps that Sasuke could get. Plus, the stupid water boy would just annoy her about it. The night was cool and silent. Karin couldn't even hear Suigetsu's snoring. Maybe he was awake like her, ready to soothe their leader from his plaguing nightmares. They may not admit it but they were worried about Sasuke. The eye bags under his obsidian eyes were becoming more prominent as more time pass.
"Nii-san…."
Soft and yearning, his voice pierced through the silence. Quietly, the redhead sat up and looked towards the sleeping Uchiha. His facial muscle had relaxed significantly compared to when he was awake. The corners of his mouth were slightly tilted upwards, revealing the most joyful expression the woman had seen on Sasuke's face. Then, a pain-filled sob followed. A teardrop formed at the corner of his closed right eye. His chakra that glowed gently began to rage yet turn cold. His face twisted to display a mixture of sadness and anger. His chakra kept growing colder, displaying his great hatred that pushed him forward. It was also like a wild flame, ready to burn and hurt anything around it but ready to burn itself out. It scared her. One day he may hurt the team or one day he may just collapse and never wake again.
"Which are you more afraid of? His cold chakra or him having none at all?" Karin once asked herself as she stared at her reflection in a lake the group had stopped at.
She wasn't sure of the answer to that but Jungo, who was refilling bottles of water, heard her.
"Whatever path he chooses to take, I will always follow him."
The birds chirped along with him as if they were proud of his choice. Hearing the implication he made, Karin began to wonder if she had that dedication that Jungo had. If Sasuke decided it was time he met his end, would she follow him through? No, the female would want to stop him but what could she do? What could THEY do? When morning comes, Sasuke's walls would stand tall and strong. The atmosphere around him was gloomy and cold. His emotionless expression was carved onto his face and his words were tinted with hatred. His words matched his background but they were all scripted to match his appearance, the avenger.
He never realised that his guard would relax at the mention of his brother; how his emotions showed clearly on his face whether they were anger or joy. His eyes were filled with yearning as he stared in the direction where his brother would be. Either he did not realised it or he purposely did not accept that he was important to the team. Maybe he did not believe that they cared for him enough to notice. They knew he needed his brother's presence but they also knew when they find his brother, Sasuke would kill him just as he always "wanted". They should have stopped him and talked him out of killing his brother. They should have but when they remembered the eyes that stared at them, telling them 'no'. He knew what they were thinking and what they wanted to say. That was why Karin felt it was impossible to stop him.
When everything was supposedly over, Sasuke seemed to force himself to push forward. Going as far to revive Orochimaru and the hokages, Sasuke's questions were enough signs that he would never move forward. Asking about a man who was dead, Sasuke seemed to be stuck in a time where he would always follow behind his brother. Suigetsu had told him once to think of something else that wasn't his brother; of the upcoming war or of the blonde that chased him 24/7. Sasuke was stubborn knew he was walking a path of destruction; self-destruction. It would not bring them a future of happiness or peace but they followed him still. So that when the day he would fall, they would be there to catch him and push him on.